And Their Refinement of the Decline
And Their Refinement of the Decline is the seventh and final studio album by Stars of the Lid, which was released by Kranky in April 2007. The album was Kranky's 100th release, and was issued as a double CD and as a triple vinyl LP set (featuring alternate artwork). And Their Refinement of the Decline features minimal, droning compositions of varied length created from treated guitar, horn, piano, and other classical instruments.
| And Their Refinement of the Decline | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 2, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 120:32 | |||
| Label | Kranky | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Stars of the Lid chronology | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 87/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | C−[3] |
| MusicOMH | [4] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10[5] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[6] |
| Stylus Magazine | B+[7] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | 5/5[8] |
The track "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage" refers to Craven Cottage in London, the home stadium of English football club, Fulham F.C. At the time of the album's release, their captain was ex-United States soccer international Brian McBride, who shares the same name as Brian McBride from Stars of the Lid. The track "Don't Bother They're Here" uses the melody of Stephen Sondheim's 1973 song "Send in the Clowns".
In December 2007, American webzine Somewhere Cold ranked And Their Refinement of the Decline No. 5 on their 2007 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame.[9]
Track listing
Disc one
- "Dungtitled (in A major)" – 5:54
- "Articulate Silences Part 1" – 5:24
- "Articulate Silences Part 2" – 5:37
- "The Evil That Never Arrived" – 5:05
- "Apreludes (in C sharp major)" – 3:44
- "Don't Bother They're Here" – 10:10
- "Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage" – 5:55
- "Even If You're Never Awake (Deuxième)" – 9:20
- "Even (Out) +" – 4:51
- "A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process" – 4:32
Disc two
- "Another Ballad for Heavy Lids" – 4:32
- "The Daughters of Quiet Minds" – 13:21
- "Hiberner Toujours" – 1:49
- "That Finger on Your Temple Is the Barrel of My Raygun" – 5:04
- "Humectez La Mouture" – 5:31
- "Tippy's Demise" – 8:18
- "The Mouthchew" – 3:40
- "December Hunting for Vegetarian Fuckface" – 17:45
Credits
- Composed and recorded in Brussels, Belgium and Los Angeles, California by Adam Wiltzie and Brian McBride.
Additional instrumentation
- Sarah Nelson – cello
- Alexander Waterman – cello
- Jeff Rizzy – cello
- Borris Gronemberg – trumpet
- Cedric Manche – flugelhorn
- Toine Thys – clarinet
- Daniel Noesig – trumpet
- Jesse Sparhawk – harp
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste au Béguinage Children's Choir – choir
Contributors
- Luke Savisky
- Craig McCaffrey
- Pieter DeWagter
- Mr. Kranky
References
- "Reviews for And Their Refinement Of The Decline by Stars Of The Lid". Metacritic. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- Jurek, Thom. "And Their Refinement of the Decline – Stars of the Lid". AllMusic. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- Christgau, Robert (February 2008). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- McGonigle, David (April 2, 2007). "Stars Of The Lid – And Their Refinement Of The Decline". MusicOMH. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- Richardson, Mark (April 3, 2007). "Stars of the Lid: And Their Refinement of the Decline". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- Dorr, Nate (April 3, 2007). "Stars of the Lid: And Their Refinement of the Decline". PopMatters. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- Berge, Bryan (April 5, 2007). "Stars of the Lid – …And Their Refinement of Decline – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- Willcoma. "Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- Lamoreaux, Jason T. (December 30, 2007). "2007 Somewhere Cold Awards". Somewhere Cold. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2020.